


Let Me Be Your Shelter

by patchworkofstars



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: Gen, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attack, Rain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:26:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchworkofstars/pseuds/patchworkofstars
Summary: Virgil gets caught in a storm and soaked to the skin. Luckily Patton finds him and makes things better.





	Let Me Be Your Shelter

Virgil could feel the change in the air, see the daylight subtly dim as thicker clouds rolled into the already overcast sky. As the first light droplets began to fall, he pulled up his hood and hunched his shoulders, shrugging deeper into the warmth of his jacket. The drops were growing heavier already, more persistent, and he could sense far worse to come – something in him seemingly unconsciously in tune with the air pressure, giving a small advance warning that would be wasted if he couldn't reach shelter soon. 

Wearily he forced his legs to pick up speed, watching drops of water hit the ground ahead of him and leave ripples in the quickly growing puddles. His breathing was becoming shallower, more rapid, and he felt a dark, anxious shadow begin to close around his heart. His jeans were already unpleasantly damp, wetter patches at the base of each leg spreading upwards and water seeping in through each rip. By the time he got home the denim was sure to be soaked through and clinging like a second skin. 

He could see the entrance to the shopping mall ahead, still too far away as the heavens finally opened fully and the rain became a drenching torrent. His eyes scanned desperately for a dry area of ground that would indicate shelter, but every inch was wet, no hint of overhead cover wide enough to protect him.

His thin cloth hood had been little help, and both it and his hair were now plastered to his scalp. His makeup would have been a horrifying sight if anyone had cared to look his way, but the few other people still out in the open were hurrying, heads down, as caught up in their own misery as him.

At last the automatic doors of the mall slid aside for him, and he shuffled wretchedly into the shelter he’d longed for. But then his shivering turned to trembling as his senses were assaulted by the bright glare of the fluorescent lighting, the clamour of countless voices, and the claustrophobic awareness of the crowd gathered there.

He knew they were only sheltering from the rain like him. He knew it was only fair. Yet he couldn’t help the resentment that bubbled up in his chest. The anxiety gripping his heart quickly swelled into panic as he tried in vain to find a clear space near a wall to retreat to.

No one seemed to notice his hunched, dark, dripping form as he tried to make his way through the shifting flow of bodies. He tried once to croak out an “Excuse me”, but it caught in his throat and died. His voice always seemed to fail him when he needed it most.

The panic was rising. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, could barely see as the lights seemed to grow brighter and the people around him faded to indistinct shapes, obstacles some primal instinct insisted he should avoid at all costs.

He shivered uncontrollably, trying to wipe the wetness from his eyes with hands that were already just as damp. It was all too much. He was so tired of people, so tired of the bustle of life that seemed to flow incessantly around him wherever he went. Tired of feeling constantly tense, and of lying awake every night feeling bleak and empty, terrified of what the future might bring.

Tired of feeling achingly, soul-crushingly tired. 

Static filled his head, muffling everything, and he only half heard it when a voice called his name – only registered it at all because the familiarity struck a chord in him, pulling his consciousness back from the brink.

He turned to see a splash of bright blue that resolved itself into the form of his best friend, Patton, concern in his eyes and a big rainbow umbrella loosely folded at his side. Virgil sagged with relief, his breathing shifting instinctively into a better rhythm now that he was no longer giving it any thought.

If any one of the strangers surrounding them had touched him he would have panicked – perhaps even lashed out instinctively in fear. But he flung himself at Patton and clung to him like a lifebelt, pulling him close so that he would know it was okay to put his arms around Virgil and just hold him. To be an island of strength and calm, shielding him from the world. 

Patton's embrace loosened after a minute, but he kept one arm protectively around Virgil's shoulders as he steered him, still clinging tightly to his side, through the tide of people to the mall doors. He opened his umbrella as they stepped outside, its broad, colourful canopy keeping the still-heavy downpour from reaching them. 

“Shall we go back to my place?” he asked.

Virgil kept his eyes fixed on his friend's chest but nodded firmly. Please”, he mouthed, and Patton gave his shoulders a quick squeeze before slipping the arm down to link with his.

With every step, Virgil could feel the squelch of his sodden socks inside his boots. Although Patton did his best to steer them around the edges of puddles, there were still places where poor drainage had let pools of water over an inch deep form across their path.

They waded through at the shallowest points they could find, moving slowly to minimise splashing. Still, it seemed a long, arduous journey to Patton’s home, even though it couldn’t have been more than a ten-minute walk.

Virgil walked in silence, too overwhelmed with discomfort from his wet clothing and earlier sensory overload to think of anything worth saying. Patton began humming a tune he didn’t recognise, apparently unperturbed by both the rain and his lack of conversation, and he focused his attention on the familiar voice and soothing melody. It helped him shut out the negative thoughts that otherwise tried to crowd his mind.

When they reached Patton's door, Virgil held the umbrella while his friend fumbled through six different pockets for his key. Then finally the door swung open, and Patton took back the umbrella, shaking off the loose droplets and folding it as Virgil stepped at last into the quiet shelter. 

It was a small apartment, not much to look at from the outside, but stepping inside felt like crossing through a portal into paradise. It was comfortably warm, and compact enough to be cosy without any sense of being cramped or restricted. When Virgil sniffed the air, he caught the subtle aroma of recently-baked cookies.

He could’ve collapsed to the floor there and then, the palpable relief bringing tears to his eyes and making him tremble with pure emotion.

Patton rested a hand on his shoulder, disregarding the damp. “Leave your wet shoes here and head to the bathroom”, he advised. “You know where it is, right? There are towels in the cupboard; use any you like and get dried off. I’ll fetch you some dry clothes to change into.”

*****

When he emerged from the bathroom, Virgil was dressed in sweatpants and a black cat hoodie. His hair was dishevelled from the towel-drying and for once he wore no makeup, but even so, for the first time since the rain began, he was able to look Patton fully in the eyes and smile.

“Oh my goodness, you look adorable!” Patton gushed, handing him a steaming mug of cocoa. “Now, I thought maybe we could sit and watch a movie together while you recover? Of course, you’re welcome to stay here for the night, if you’d like to, although I’ll totally understand if you’d rather go home once the rain has stopped.” He stopped and bit his lip, his face a picture of concern and eagerness combined.

Virgil suppressed a sigh. “You don’t have to do this, Pat”, he said awkwardly. “I don’t mind going straight home and leaving you in peace, if you’ll lend me an umbrella.”

Patton turned and grasped his shoulders gently but firmly, a frown creasing his forehead above his thick-framed glasses.

“That might be okay if you’d only got wet”, he said in that dad voice of his that brooked no argument, “But you were having a panic attack when I found you, and you look exhausted – Don’t try to deny it, now your makeup’s gone I can see the real shadows under your eyes. You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

His expression softened and he let one hand drop to his side, turning to put the other around Virgil’s shoulders. “If you really want to leave, I won’t stop you”, he told him, “But please, will you at least sit down while you drink your cocoa?”

Virgil relaxed, letting a small smile grace his lips. “Okay, I guess I’ll stay and watch a movie with you. Maybe something sunshiny? I wanna forget about the rain for a while.”

“You got it, kiddo!” said Patton, beaming, and walked him to the sofa to sit down. He motioned for him to stay there, then disappeared into his bedroom, emerging a moment later with a blue fleece blanket and a black and white toy dog, which he held out to Virgil. It was oddly dressed in a blue striped necktie and a small golden crown, and Virgil looked from Patton to the dog and back again, confused.

“His name’s Rolo”, Patton explained. “I thought maybe you’d like to cuddle him while we watch the movie. I always hug him when I’m feeling down, and he somehow seems to make things a little brighter.”

Virgil hesitated. He didn't usually go in for stuffed toys, and he didn't want Patton to see him as soft, but Rolo's fur had a worn, well-loved look to it that told him this was something his friend treasured. A faint blush warmed his cheeks as he awkwardly accepted the proffered toy, and the way Patton's face lit up made him instantly glad of his decision. 

Patton set up a Moana DVD, then settled down on the sofa beside him, spread the blanket across both their laps, and pressed play.

As the warmth and bone-deep comfort let him truly relax at last, Virgil’s exhaustion seemed to catch up with him all at once. His head felt suddenly heavy, and he was too sleepy to resist for long as it gradually lowered to rest on Patton’s shoulder. He felt a pang of guilt and embarrassment, quickly assuaged when the man leaned in to rest his own head gently against Virgil’s.

He was too tired even to smile, but for the first time in far too long he felt safe and entirely at peace. So he let his eyes slowly blink themselves closed, and the sounds of the movie blur and fade in his mind, until all he was aware of were warmth, and softness, and Patton's gentle strength at his side. 

And then, at last, he slept.


End file.
